The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-09-22
OUT WITH THE TIDE.

''Wall, guess the Lord has about
concluded to give Randy her free
DOM"
This remark was made by Mrs.
Yates the other morning, as we sat in
the tent, each of us with handful of
pea-pods in her apron and each she'll
ing peas with different degrees of alae-
rity. Maria Jane was dong most of
the work. for we were still very red
and moist and palpitating from row.
ing in our dOry on Salt Pond. We
had set up dory the day before and,
naturally, we wanted to use it, even
though the wind was southwest and
the sun scorching. 1t was hard, how
ever, to come back to the tent and
know that we couldn't have any din
ner until we had prepared it. Forum
ately Maria Jane dropped in at this
moment, vigorous and alert as ever.
She said that Marsh was pretty tired;
she left him trying to rest, and took
hold energetically in the matter Of
shelling peas.
Didn't you know" she went on in
answer to our questions, "that Mr..
Rankin amt wellp He amt. don't
knows I'm called upon to make be-
lieye I'm sorry, for l amt, one grain.
He's one of them kind that's always
pleasant and smilin'-never says a
cross word. But he will have his own
way if he cuts yer heart out all the
time and sees it a-bleedin', and he'll be
just as soft, and you'd be sure to think
twas you that was the wretch, and
likely's not you'd beg his pardon,
seems he was so gentle. In the end
you'll find out he's done jest what he
calkilated on doin' all the time. When
you plead with him. and cry and groan
and agonize, as it were, he'll smile and
say: 'Sho, now don't get excited /
guess there wouldn't none of US git
excited if we were as sure of our own
way as that mans always been. But he
amt got no bad habits. You can't put
your finger on thing he's done. For
all that, l believe he killed his first
WIFE And | sh'd think she'd ben glad
of it. Yes, he jest killed her a-bein' so
pleasant and so cussed. She never
had her own way in thing. They
saw she was as doli<it she could be,
and she was u perfect picter to look at.
| remember when she was married,
and 'peared as bride. l was little
tot. and set with my mother two seats
behind where they sOt. l reck lect eS-
actly how felt and what l thought
when they walked in slow along the
broad aisle. she holding on to his arm.
l didn't look at him ut all, but | stared
at her all the service. 1 was blacker
even than am now, and she was like
a white rose, / thought. She hadn't
had good health, and she'd had spell
H., H1f IS linz at- hn
lungs. but they said She got over that
and was well. She had on that fust
Sunday purple velvet bunnit with
a long white feather. I en- see jest
how the plume lay along over the vel
vet. Isot and stared and stared. l
knew never could be so interestin' as
to wear a purple bunnit with white
feather n bleed at the lungs"
Maria Jane took large handful OF
pea-pods from the tin pan and was si-
lent for time reviewing those days.
The hot wind fiuttered the tent; there
was the sound of talk and high laugh
ter from small sailboat that was glid-
ing by so near as to seem to be almost
on the sands below the bluff. How
hot it was! 1t is only when 1.-THE wind
is in some other quarter than the south
or west that it is cool on this coast,
Notwithstanding the hotel advertise
ments. And in summer, If you will
notice, the wind is usually either In
| the south or west, or between those
two points, and then tits at the hottest.
Then, also, there is constant danger
that the mash will send forth its mys'
terious, hellish odor. / am choosing
this latter adjective advisedly, The
word Internal is not sufficiently strong
as you would say yourself if you had
ever happened to be here when, q
the natives say, "the mash was
smellin'."
Nevertheless, we were glad to be II
a tent on the South Shore. The lit'
was free and charming. The people
thus far had constant interest for US
We felt that 1t would be a long tim
vet before we should be tired OF thei
| different phases of character. Ais
now, and for almost two months more
there would be the Kaleidoscope o
fashionable life to watch at a distance
This movement of gayety was just ia
enough away to amuse without ia
tiouing. If some unutterably fasci
mating belle came to us for a glass Q
water we could examine her NOR
| nearly, while she examined us.
Just now we had also visit to whic
to look forward, or we did have unit
we heard Maria James words thi
morning When Randy Rankin ha
left us the day she had called, she ha
given us a special invitation to spen
day with her in the following weel
She named Wednesday,, for on tha
day the baker came along the ridg
here by the shore and then went owe
to the Two-Mile. She was confider
he would let us go with him. But "
had said we would go across Salt Pom
in our boat, then hire horse and ca
riaee at one of the hotels on '.tf
road" This arrangement had great
shocked her, as being extravagant
the extreme. She said they were MOI
strous dear at them liy'ries. We prom
ised after her remonstPances that
the wind should be in the east we cou
venture to walk from the road. thl
the matter was left. For some reaso
we hardly knew why, Mrs. Rank
had interested us greatly; we WEI
E very desirous of making that visit.
Mrs. Yates remained silent so Ion
that we asked her about Mr.. Rankl
. Was he illa Instead of replying 81
, went on from where she had left o
wall, old Rankin-thoughh he wal
old then-didnt have his wife but
: year. She had one child, John, tn
lives under the cliff yender, and di
in two months after. Lucky for b
and good 'nough for him, l say. !
was edgin up to Randy sherman
/ 81 II a
!. of chips, jest as he always is. L G
you. you en- hev some hopes OF a M
or woman as sometimes rares up a.
is mad, and gifts in the wrong, ana
sorry. But when you find one tina
l,s ;n +ha ,.;rl,t ond naver oiyeS